Comparison of Sultan Selim III's Portraits in Album No. Od.23 of La Bibliothèque National de France Museum with Other Portraits of Sultan Selim III During His Reign

Abstract

Western countries' interest in OKoman culture began with the conquest of Istanbul and continued until the end of the 19th century. With the conquest of Istanbul, many artists were invited to the country and local painters were sent to the West and mutual cultural interaction began. In this process, Western ambassadors, travelers and artists, either sent to OKoman lands by kings or during their personal travels, visualized the things they were curious about or the elements they were curious about, and prepared or purchased albums. Some of these albums were intended to be presented to the king, while others were shaped according to the ambassadors, travelers and artists who visited the OKoman lands. This study focuses on the portraits of Sultan Selim III in the album Od.23 in the Museum of la Bibliothèque Nationale de France. First, detailed information about the album is presented, then the portraits of Sultan Selim III (1761-1808), which are our focus, are examined ichnographically and compared with other portraits. These works have been tried to be evaluated in a multidimensional way, especially within the period portraits made during the years of the Sultan's reign, and while revealing similarities and differences in terms of style and iconography, the issue of whether there were interactions between the artists has been examined.